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TKR BrokenAgain Outpatient Total Knee Replacement

@BrokenAgain.....please let us hear from you with an update on how you are. We are all very concerned for you after that dreadful experience. I hope once your pain subsides you are able to take the great advice provided by your BoneSmart Family. This guy needs a serious tune-up and to be out of your life forever.

Be sure you are icing and taking something on a schedule for your pain. First priorirty is to get it under control. The only movement you need to do until that happens are gentle bends and stretches every couple of hours along with 5 minutes or so of walking about the house every couple of hours. Usually trips to the bathroom or kitchen or bedroom will take care of that walking. Go slow. Use your walker. Things will get better. Cancel therapy on Tuesday if you're still in a lot of pain.
 
We all do want to hear from you. You have several options available to you. Stop PT completely or ask for someone else. That is for the short term.

Personally as several have noted, that behavior is not acceptable. He is working for you. Being paid by your insurance. I would contact your surgeon's office and explain how you've been treated by this PT. Let the surgeon's office handle the PT office.

For the long term the options are the same, stopping formal PT or another PT person being assigned to you.
 
@BrokenAgain

Don't whatever you do, have this person in your life. I reckon I have been lucky with my progress but no way could I have followed the regime you've been given. Leg slides, trying to push knee into the chair and pulling leg towards me with a towel [trying and not necessarily succeeding] plus ankle pumps etc were my go to's for a week or so before I got adventurous with leg lifts and gave up as it hurt and resorted to sitting on the kitchen table and swinging the legs to tell myself I was achieving a leg lift. As I am on 10kg leg extension exercises now, leaving the leg lift alone for a couple of months did me no harm at all.

I had a run in with a hospital physio who hadn't read my notes properly and thought I was two days ahead of actual surgery date and had me in tears, not through exertion as I just couldn't and wouldn't do what she wanted but because no one speaks to me the way she did but 15 hrs after surgery, I wasn't of the right state to tell her where to go!
She didn't apologise but later that day said 'there had been some miscommunication''

Miscommunication my whatsit. She had fallen down on the job.

I never saw her again and had lovely physios for the rest of my hospital stay.

Find/ask for a new physio. No health professional should speak to their patient as yours did to you.
 
Occasionally physio's can do more harm than good, maybe not intentionally but most tend to forget we are recovering from a surgery of damaged bones, not an accident or a sports injury but bones that for one readon or another are unhealthy hence they get replaced, the actual surgery is complex, nerves, muscles etc are cut, bones are sawed, drilled and hammered. These all need to heal before any form of physio should begin, gentle exercises such as heel slides, walking to and from kitchen /bathroom is enought for the 1st few weeks. My surgeon on both my replacements did not recommend physio at all, he said the knee will do what it's supposed to do in its own time, on my first replacement in 2019 I listened and had an excellent outcome and recovery two years on I was impatient wanting a quick faster recovery and at 4 weeks adverse to my surgeons orders I went to physio, a junior therapist seeing that my knee was strong and my movements were good and I high on medication pushed & pushed, my biggest mistake, in one morning I lost 4 + weeks of my recovery I had to go back to basics, and total bed rest, no physio and I let my knee heal, now almost 5 months post surgery I'm struggling with confidence, I walked perfectly well prior, now I'm learning how to walk. I reported the junior, I've no idea what happened to him as I haven't seen him again, hopefully he learned a valuable lesson, I certainly did these knees will heal in their own time and only by themselves, they do not need anyone tells them how to heal, this is no competition it's a recovery xx
 
@Sara61
I'm sorry you had such an experience but when you have been under a physio's wing and one who has nurtured you through your own reluctance to have an operation for many proceeding years and one in whom you have implicit trust, then the physio's help can be very rewarding.
It was for me and I know quite a few ex patients who also found the care delivered by the practice to be top notch. I know as I bent many an ear prior to confirming the op date and all said they couldn't have managed without the care and gentle expertise of the physios who are part of the practice joint replacement rehab team.
Basically, you have to pick your health professional very carefully. Not only do they have to be well versed in joint replacement, but they have to have the empathy to know when enough is enough, before, enough is enough.

Find a physio who fits that bill and you're up and running, so's to speak!
Come across one such as yours, my initial one and others similar, then run away, again, so's to speak!! :)
 
I have had a horrendous week. My knee pain keeps getting higher not lower. It has been excruciating. I have a high pain threshold and I have been crying for days. No pain medication is making any difference in pain relief. The knee is on ice constantly and is still warm to the touch when I remove the knee sleeve, of my ice machine, from my knee to change the ice/water. The skin around the leg is cold. I have been told walk, walk, walk. When you hurt walk and the pain will go away. Well, NOPE! My walking is easier. Pain didn't decrease but I did get some pretty good visits from Mr Charlie Horse. Sometimes he hung around much longer than he was wanted. I have been very concerned on an unwanted visit from Mr DVT sometimes he brings Ms PE along with him. Personally, I don't want anything to do with either of them. They are trouble! As I was doing my morning "how purple am I today" check and checking for "swelling"... psst...my entire leg is three times it's normal size...there's swelling!" I am sitting on my bed, with my hands on my very warm and swollen knee; trying to figure out why is my pain, swelling and bruising getting worse and not decreasing? Then my hero comes in the room. The man who sat by my side and held me as I cried in pain all night. We are talking about calling the orthopaedic office first thing this morning when they open. My husband asks, " what happens if you are rejecting the knee?" And that is when the very soft baseball bat hit me upside the head. I asked him, " what's in Cobalt alloy?" He replied , " Cobalt , nickle maybe some aluminum." I said, " you're joking with me right? Cause it's in my chart I am allergic to nickle!" He said. "Google it" I did...and there is nickle in the Cobalt Alloy used to replace my knee. What happens to my knee now,? I can't keep the nickle inside me.
 
I’m so sorry you’re in so much pain. Definitely call your surgeon’s office today to discuss your concerns. :console2::console2:
 
BrokenAgain said:
I have been told walk, walk, walk. When you hurt walk and the pain will go away. Well, NOPE!
Click to expand...
Just a little bit of walking every few hours should be enough to keep your knee moving. Walking too much will just cause more pain, as you have found out.
BrokenAgain said:
why is my pain, swelling and bruising getting worse and not decreasing?
Click to expand...
In the first few weeks, the bruising will show up more. As you are using your knee, the swelling increases. Just do gentle movements and ankle pumps to keep your leg moving. Continue to ice and elevate the whole time you are sitting or laying down. Hopefully, this will help your knee settle down.
 
@InkedMarie I just heard back from orthopaedic office. Hie said, " it's very rare to be allergic to cobalt because there is only a small amount of nickle in it. Advised I go to ER for bloodwork to see if I am having an allergic reaction."

Ummmmmm hello! I am allergic to nickle. A small amount or large amount produces same reaction. I have a rare condition called mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). With MCAS a trace amount is enough to cause anaphylaxis. AGAIN, THIS IS IN MY CHART
 
Geez. Did you go for bloodwork anyway? What did he say when you told him that?

Marie
 
Oh, @BrokenAgain, this must be very distressing.
Please let us all know what’s happening.
Sending best wishes and positive thoughts.
 
@BrokenAgain
My heart goes out to you. I too have a nickel [and latex] allergy and although not in anaphylaxis territory, def. in hives, itches and swollen area, and this was discussed right from the start with my consultant. ''Only a small amount'' shouldn't and doesn't cut it.
Not being a chemist, I didn't know cobalt contained nickel but having looked it up, I find a cobalt and nickel allergy often co-exist. I shall remember that! however, back to subject, there is NO way your surgeon should have used a device with even a small a component his patient is allergic to.

I'm a pretty mild mannered person but if after being alerted to the issue, my doctor had used an implant which contained a substance which could bring on the condition you have, if it wasn't addressed to my complete satisfaction, I would threaten to kick up a fuss [with your other leg, obviously! :) ] so loudly the person in question would start to look at his medical insurance!

It sounds as if you have great support from your husband so good luck, don't take any brush offs and keep us posted.
xx from a fellow nickel avoider.
 
I didnt go to the ER last night because the office has their own lab and I was hoping I could get my blood drawn there and avoid risk of infection from being at ER. That did not work out as I had hoped.

Last night I was finally able to get my pain level down to a tolerated 7 and was able to sleep for the first night in a week. I woke long enough to take my meds and was back out. When I woke for the day, I actually felt rested. I ate breakfast, did a little walking, heal glides, ankle circles. ICE, ICE ICE love my machine! Elevation.

Watched a movie with my hubby and then all of a sudden, my knee feels like it's on fire! He checks the ice and says,"it's freezing cold" He takes the wrap off my knee and my knee is very hot to the touch. My thigh is cold. Tonight the pain is back to the 9-9.5.

The orthopaedic doctors insist that it can't be an allergic reaction because it's rare. They are not listening. I already have an anaphylaxis reaction to nickle. I also have MCAS which makes me even more sensitive and my reaction more severe. I have burning, stabing, stinging, sharp pain in my new knee. Feels like a thousand killer bees having a party in there that went brawl!

I had such hope for this procedure. I know you all want updates and I feel like a Debbie downer and I don't want to discourage anyone from having their procedure...so I been keeping to myself. Then I get a little push from my Twinsie to update in my thread.

I am in so much pain, I have literally passed out cold three times this week from the pain. Thankfully my hubby had a hold of my gait belt. I look like I am shivering because I am cold. It's because of the pain. My body is in shock and I don't know what to do.

I try to communicate and it falls on deaf ears. I haven't been able to talk to Dr himself. Only messages passed between his nurse. I called Wed. Nurse from surgery center called their office Wed. My husband called Thur and the instructions were go to ER. What can waiting for hours and hours and hours at an ER do but get me sick and risk infection? What can the ER do? They'll refer me to an orthopaedic. I apologize for the rant. I hurt and I am frustrated and tired, both emotionally and physically.
 
BrokenAgain said:
What can the ER do?
Click to expand...
They can witness what you are going through, maybe start some tests, and maybe even change your medication. They can contact your surgeon, or you might even see a better one.
BrokenAgain said:
What can waiting for hours and hours and hours at an ER do but get me sick and risk infection?
Click to expand...

I do understand why you don’t want to go to the ER, but you need more help than you are getting from your surgeon’s office.

If you choose to wait until morning, call your surgeon’s office first thing and try the term “medical emergency.“ Explain you’re afraid to go to the ER with all the germs there, and that you need help. Continuing in the condition you are currently in is not good for you.

Don’t ever feel bad for ranting here on Bonesmart. Someone else will come along who feels just like you do, and will not feel so alone in the situation.
 
@BrokenAgain .... your surgeon's office advised you to go to the ER and you didn't go???? Please GO. This is not a normal situation and you need someone to find out what is going on. By your own admission, things continue to worsen. You've passed out from pain. Your knee is flaming hot and in pain that meds don't touch. What other signals do you need? This might be a reaction to the metal in the implant, but it also could be an infection.

Please fire up the car and get to the ER. Do not wait. You must not try to diagnose what's going on yourself. I'll wait to hear back from you once you've seen someone.
 
What frustrates me the most is they KNOW I am allergic to nickel. In 2019, I had major surgery on my spine. The neurosurgeon used 40 staples to close the incisions. I had a severe anaphylaxis reaction to those 40 surgical staples. The staples had to be removed immediately.

I was given:
a shot of steroids,
a shot of antibiotics
2 weeks of antibiotics to take at hone
2 weeks tapered steroids to take at home

My Neurosurgeon said, " this is one of the worst allergic reactions to metal I've ever seen."

What I felt then is exactly what I am feeling now. I must of reminded my OS and the surgery center 50 times about my nickel allergy. I was reassured that he didn't use staples; he used sutures.

Well..... if I can't have nickel staples, why would I be able to have a nickel prosthesis permanently implanted into my body?

After my neurosurgeon looked into the staples, the only alloy, I was allergic to was nickel. I knew I had a nickel allergy since childhood, as I cannot wear jewelry that contains nickel. I never thought surgical stainless steel contained nickel. Guess what folks? It does!
 
If this feels like what you experienced previously with your nickel allergy, that's even more reason to get to the ER so you can get checked out. Ideally, you should go to the hospital where your surgeon practices. That way if an orthopedic surgeon is called in, you can request he be the one they contact (or one of his clinical partners). Please do not try to wait this out at home.
 
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